Oust G-23 leaders to save Congress, ex-ministers tell high command

Sunit Dhawan

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Rohtak, March 12

Former Haryana Home Minister and Congress leader Subhash Batra has asked the party’s central leadership to oust the G-23 leaders or be ready to face Punjab-like poll debacle in Haryana and other states.

“Certain Congress leaders who have enjoyed plum positions like those of Chief Ministers, Union ministers and Rajya Sabha members are now damaging and weakening their own party at the behest of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Such black sheep should be expelled at the earliest,” said Batra.

Addressing a news conference here on Saturday, the former minister stated that if the Congress high command still fails to pull up its socks and take some concrete action against the leaders indulging in anti-party activities, the grassroots-level workers would turn away.

In a veiled attack on former Haryana Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Batra accused him of opposing the party’s state presidents and ignoring senior leaders.

Batra, who was flanked by former Haryana minister Krishan Murti Hooda, lamented that the top leadership of the Congress was surrounded by a handful of persons and had stopped listening to the party’s leaders and workers, which was not a good sign.

“We will meet Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and apprise him of the concerns of Congressmen,” the former ministers stated.

In response to a query, Batra asserted that he would contest the upcoming election to the state Assembly against Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar from Karnal constituency.

“The Congress should field me from Karnal. However, if it does not, I will still contest,” he maintained.

On being asked whether he could contest the election as a nominee of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the former minister implied that all options were open and no possibility could be ruled out.